Hubbard and Wineva Properties action report€¦ · Staff report for action – Hubbard and Wineva Properties – Inclusion on Heritage Inventory 12 The Hubbard Fourplex at 1-3 Hubbard

Staff report for action – Hubbard and Wineva Properties – Inclusion on Heritage Inventory 1

STAFF REPORT ACTION REQUIRED

Hubbard and Wineva Properties – Inclusion on Heritage Inventory

Date: March 4, 2010

To: Toronto Preservation Board Toronto and East York Community Council

From: Acting Director, Policy & Research, City Planning Division

Wards: East Toronto-Beaches – Ward 32

Reference Number:

SUMMARY

This report recommends that City Council include on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties the properties on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard, between Wineva and Hammersmith Avenues, and the properties on the west side of Wineva Avenue, south of Hubbard Boulevard. The 12 properties identified in the recommendations below have cultural heritage value as an enclave of residential buildings from the 1920s that are among the last surviving dwellings with direct access to the waterfront in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood. Their inclusion on the City’s heritage inventory would enable staff to monitor the sites and encourage the retention of their heritage attributes and values.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The City Planning Division recommends that:

1. City Council include the property at 1 Hubbard Boulevard (Hubbard Fourplex) on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.







7. City Council include the property at 13 Hubbard Boulevard (Eliza J. Furniss House) on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.

8. City Council include the property at 15 Hubbard Boulevard (Hubbard Court Apartments) on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.

9. City Council include the property at 2 Wineva Avenue (Wineva Fourplex) on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.




Financial Impact There are no financial implications resulting from the adoption of this report.

ISSUE BACKGROUND Staff have examined the properties located on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard between Wineva and Hammersmith Avenues, and those on the west side of Wineva Avenue, south of Hubbard Boulevard, and identified them for inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties. Following research and evaluation, it was determined that the properties have cultural heritage value as an intact group of residential properties from the 1920s with direct access to the lakefront in the Beaches neighbourhood. The inclusion of properties on the City’s heritage inventory would enable staff to monitor the sites and encourage the retention of their heritage attributes and values.

COMMENTS A location map (Attachment No. 1) and Photographs (Attachments Nos. 2A-2E) are attached. The Reasons for Listing (Statements of Significance) outline the cultural heritage values and attributes of the properties (Attachments Nos. 3A-3G).


The properties on Hubbard Boulevard and Wineva Avenue identified in Recommendations Nos. 1-12 are worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties for their cultural heritage value. Located on Toronto’s waterfront south of Hubbard Boulevard and on the west side of Wineva Avenue, the enclave of residential buildings consists of five fourplexes (Hubbard and Wineva Fourplexes, 1928), a single detached house form building (Eliza J. Furniss House, 1928), and the Hubbard Court Apartments (1929). With their historical links to the development and evolution of Toronto’s Beaches community, the properties have design, associative and contextual values as the only surviving group of residential buildings on the lakefront west of Silver Birch Avenue that have direct access to Lake Ontario.

CONTACT Mary L. MacDonald, Acting Manager Heritage Preservation Services Tel: 416-338-1079 Fax: 416-392-1973 E-mail: [email protected]

SIGNATURE

_______________________________ Kerri Voumvakis, Acting Director Policy and Research City Planning Division

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ATTACHMENTS Attachment No. 1 – Location Map Attachment No. 2A – Historical and Current Photographs, Hubbard and Wineva Properties Attachment No. 2B – Photographs, 1-3 and 5-7 Hubbard Boulevard Attachment No. 2C – Photographs, 9-11 and 13 Hubbard Boulevard Attachment No. 2D – Photographs, 15 Hubbard Boulevard Attachment No. 2E – Photographs, 2-4 and 6-8 Wineva Avenue Attachment No. 3A – Reasons for Listing (Statement of Significance), 1-3 Hubbard Boulevard Attachment No. 3B – Reasons for Listing (Statement of Significance), 5-7 Hubbard Boulevard Attachment No. 3C – Reasons for Listing (Statement of Significance), 9-11 Hubbard Boulevard Attachment No. 3D – Reasons for Listing (Statement of Significance), 13 Hubbard Boulevard


Attachment No. 3E – Reasons for Listing (Statement of Significance), 15 Hubbard Boulevard Attachment No. 3F – Reasons for Listing (Statement of Significance), 2-4 Wineva Avenue Attachment No. 3G – Reasons for Listing (Statement of Significance), 6-8 Wineva Avenue Attachment No. 4 – Heritage Property Research and Evaluation Report, Hubbard and Wineva Properties


LOCATION MAP: 1-15 HUBBARD BOULEVARD AND ATTACHMENT NO. 1 2-8 WINEVA AVENUE

The properties on Wineva Avenue (left) and Hubbard Boulevard (right) are outlined in black.

This map is for information purposes only; the exact boundaries of the properties are not

shown.


PHOTOGRAPHS: HUBBARD & WINEVA PROPERTIES ATTACHMENT NO. 2A

Historical view of the properties at 1-15 Hubbard Boulevard, c. 1929 (source: Historical Walking Tour of Kew Beach,

1995, 52)

View of the subject properties on Wineva Avenue (left) and Hubbard Boulevard (right), with the Boardwalk in the foreground.


PHOTOGRAPHS: 1-3 AND 5-7 HUBBARD BOULEVARD ATTACHMENT NO. 2B

Fourplex at 1-3 Hubbard Boulevard



PHOTOGRAPHS: 9, 11 AND 13 HUBBARD BOULEVARD ATTACHMENT NO. 2C


Eliza J. Furniss House at 13 Hubbard Boulevard


PHOTOGRAPHS: 15 HUBBARD BOULEVARD ATTACHMENT NO. 2D

Hubbard Court Apartments, showing the principal (south) façade (left) and east elevation (right)

Rear (north) wall with north entrance (right) and bevelled northeast corner (left)


PHOTOGRAPHS: 2-4 AND 6-8 WINEVA AVENUE ATTACHMENT NO. 2E

Fourplex at 2-4 Wineva Avenue

Fourplex at 6-8 Wineva Avenue


REASONS FOR LISTING: 1-3 HUBBARD BOULEVARD ATTACHMENT NO. 3A (STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE)

Hubbard Fourplex

Description

The properties at 1-3 Hubbard Boulevard are worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties for their cultural heritage value. Located on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard, east of Wineva Avenue, the Hubbard Fourplex (1928) is a two-storey residential building containing four units.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value

The Hubbard Fourplex at 1-3 Hubbard Boulevard has associative value in yielding information that contributes to an understanding of the development of the Beaches neighbourhood. The fourplex was constructed on property adjoining Lake Ontario that was the location from 1907 to 1925 of Scarborough Beach Park, the last and largest of the amusement parks that attracted visitors and summer residents to the eastern beaches. When the amusement park lands were developed into a residential subdivision, Eliza J. Furniss acquired a series of sought-after waterfront lots where a group of fourplexes were constructed, along with a detached house form building and apartment house. As an integral part of this group with direct access to the lakefront, the Hubbard Fourplex at 1-3 Hubbard Boulevard contributed to the transformation of the Beaches neighbourhood from a seasonal destination to a permanent community.

From a design perspective, the Hubbard Fourplex at 1-3 Hubbard Boulevard is a representative example of a building type that is unique to the Beaches neighbourhood. While the fourplex has a long narrow plan to accommodate four living units, from the street it resembles a cottage with the deep open two-storey verandah that extends across the entire façade of the building. The Hubbard Fourplex is one of five near-identical fourplexes along the lakefront adjoining Hubbard Boulevard and Wineva Avenue that create an important visual collection of “Beach” houses.

Contextually, the Hubbard Fourplex at 1-3 Hubbard Boulevard assists in defining, maintaining and supporting the character of the Beaches neighbourhood. The property is part of the area south of Queen Street East that is characterized by detached and multi-unit residential buildings that display the low scale, complementary materials and modest character of the area as it evolved from a seasonal to a permanent community linked to the lakefront. The placement of the Hubbard Fourplex as part of a collection of similar fourplexes and other residential buildings overlooking Lake Ontario is characteristic of the district that is defined by its proximity to Toronto’s waterfront.


The Hubbard Fourplex at 1-3 Hubbard Boulevard is also physically, visually and historically linked to its surroundings on Toronto’s eastern waterfront. Developed on the former Scarborough Beach Park lands in the 1920s, the Hubbard Fourplex is one of a unique enclave of surviving residential buildings west of Silverbirch Avenue that is placed on the lakefront with direct access to Lake Ontario.

Heritage Attributes

The heritage attributes of the properties at 1-3 Hubbard Boulevard are:

The two-storey fourplex with an extended rectangular plan

The scale, form and massing

The materials, with red brick cladding and brick and wood detailing

The sloped roof with tripartite brick parapets and a brick chimney

The two-storey open verandah with brick piers and tapered wood columns

The organization of the principal (south) façade, where the main entrances are located side-by-side in the centre of the lower storey

The entries in both floors, which are placed in flat-headed surrounds with wood detailing

The flat-headed window openings with brick flat arches and sills, with three-part windows on the south façade and single and double windows on the remaining elevations

The placement of the building on the lakefront south of Hubbard Boulevard, where it faces south to overlook Lake Ontario and has direct access to the Boardwalk and beach


REASONS FOR LISTING: 5-7 HUBBARD BOULEVARD ATTACHMENT NO. 3B (STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE)

Hubbard Fourplex

Description

The properties at 5-7 Hubbard Boulevard are worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties for their cultural heritage value. Located on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard, east of Wineva Avenue, Hubbard Fourplex (1928) is a two-storey residential building containing four units.


The Hubbard Fourplex at 5-7 Hubbard Boulevard has associative value in yielding information that contributes to an understanding of the development of the Beaches neighbourhood. The fourplex was constructed on property adjoining Lake Ontario that was the location from 1907 to 1925 of Scarborough Beach Park, the last and largest of the amusement parks that attracted visitors and summer residents to the eastern beaches. When the amusement park lands were developed into a residential subdivision, Eliza J. Furniss acquired a series of sought-after waterfront lots where a group of fourplexes were constructed, along with a detached house form building and apartment house. As an integral part of this group with direct access to the lakefront, the Hubbard Fourplex at 5-7 Hubbard Boulevard contributed to the transformation of the Beaches neighbourhood from a seasonal destination to a permanent community.





Heritage Attributes




The materials, with buff brick cladding and brick and wood detailing

The hipped roof with extended eaves, brackets and a brick chimney

The two-storey open verandah with brick piers and wood half-columns






REASONS FOR LISTING: 9-11 HUBBARD BOULEVARD ATTACHMENT NO. 3C (STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE)

Hubbard Fourplex

Description

The properties at 9-11 Hubbard Boulevard are worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties for their cultural heritage value. Located on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard, east of Wineva Avenue, Hubbard Fourplex (1928) is a two-storey residential building containing four units.


The Hubbard Fourplex at 9-11 Hubbard Boulevard has associative value in yielding information that contributes to an understanding of the development of the Beaches neighbourhood. The fourplex was constructed on property adjoining Lake Ontario that was the location from 1907 to 1925 of Scarborough Beach Park, the last and largest of the amusement parks that attracted visitors and summer residents to the eastern beaches. When the amusement park lands were developed into a residential subdivision, Eliza J. Furniss acquired a series of sought-after waterfront lots where a group of fourplexes were constructed, along with a detached house form building and apartment house. As one of this group that had direct access to the lakefront, the Hubbard Fourplex at 9-11 Hubbard Boulevard contributed to the transformation of the Beaches neighbourhood from a seasonal destination to a permanent community.





Heritage Attributes









The flat-headed window openings with brick flat arches and sills, with three-part openings on the south façade and single and double openings on the remaining elevations



REASONS FOR LISTING: 13 HUBBARD BOULEVARD ATTACHMENT NO. 3D (STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE)

Eliza J. Furniss House

Description

The property at 13 Hubbard Boulevard is worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties for its cultural heritage value. Located on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard, east of Wineva Avenue, the Eliza J. Furniss House (1928) is a two-storey detached house form building.


The Eliza J. Furniss House has associative value in yielding information that contributes to an understanding of the development of the Beaches neighbourhood. The house was constructed on property adjoining Lake Ontario that was the location from 1907 to 1925 of Scarborough Beach Park, the last and largest of the amusement parks that attracted visitors and summer residents to the eastern beaches. When the amusement park lands were developed into a residential subdivision, Eliza J. Furniss acquired a series of sought-after waterfront lots where a group of fourplexes were constructed, along with a detached house form building and apartment house. As an integral part of this group with direct access to the lakefront, the Eliza J. Furniss House contributed to the transformation of the Beaches neighbourhood from a seasonal destination to a permanent community.

The house form building is a representative example of Edwardian Classicism, the style popular in Toronto in the early 1900s and characterized by simplicity of form and restrained classical elements. The Eliza J. Furniss House displays the four-square plan and classical-detailed verandah that are typical of Edwardian Classicism, but the subdued design is set apart from others in the neighbourhood by the application of contrasting ‘black’ brick that is effectively used to decorate the verandah and the door and window openings.

Contextually, the Eliza J. Furniss House assists in defining, maintaining and supporting the character of the Beaches neighbourhood. The property is part of the area south of Queen Street East that is characterized by detached and multi-unit residential buildings that display the low scale, complementary materials and modest character of the area as it evolved from a seasonal to a permanent community linked to the lakefront. The placement of the house form building as part of a collection of fourplexes and other residential buildings overlooking Lake Ontario is characteristic of the district that is defined by its proximity to Toronto’s waterfront.


The Eliza J. Furniss House is also physically, visually and historically linked to its surroundings on Toronto’s eastern waterfront. Developed on the former Scarborough Beach Park lands in the 1920s, the detached house is one of a unique enclave of surviving residential buildings west of Silverbirch Avenue that is placed on the lakefront with direct access to Lake Ontario.

Heritage Attributes

The heritage attributes of the property at 13 Hubbard Boulevard are:

The 2½-storey detached house form building


The materials, with red brick cladding and brick, stone and wood detailing

The hipped roof with extended eaves and brick chimneys

The flat-headed door and window openings

The single-storey open porch with brick piers, cornice and wood trim (the second-storey railing has been replaced)

The placement of the building on the lakefront south of Hubbard Boulevard, where it faces south to overlook Lake Ontario and has direct access the Boardwalk and beach


REASONS FOR LISTING: 15 HUBBARD BOULEVARD ATTACHMENT NO. 3E (STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE)

Hubbard Court Apartments

Description

The property at 15 Hubbard Boulevard is worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties for its cultural heritage value. Located on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard, the Hubbard Court Apartments (1929) is a 2½-storey apartment building.


The Hubbard Court Apartments have associative value in yielding information that contributes to an understanding of the development of the Beaches neighbourhood. The apartment building was constructed on property adjoining Lake Ontario that was the location from 1907 to 1925 of Scarborough Beach Park, the last and largest of the amusement parks that attracted visitors and summer residents to the eastern beaches. When the amusement park lands were developed into a residential subdivision, Eliza J. Furniss acquired a series of sought-after waterfront lots where the apartment house was constructed, along with a group of fourplexes and a detached house form building. As an integral part of this group with direct access to the lakefront, the Hubbard Court Apartments contributed to the transformation of the Beaches neighbourhood from a seasonal destination to a permanent community.

The Hubbard Court Apartments have design value as a representative and well-crafted example of an apartment building that blends features of popular early 20th century architectural styles. Designed to be viewed from the waterfront and Hubbard Boulevard, the low scale and buff brick cladding of the apartment house complement the neighbouring house and fourplexes on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard. It stands out in its setting with the Tudor-arched stairhall windows with stained glass, the Art Deco entrance surrounds and stone panels that highlight the roof, and the bevelled corners of the building.

Contextually, the Hubbard Court Apartments assist in defining, maintaining and supporting the character of the Beaches neighbourhood. The property is part of the area south of Queen Street East that is characterized by detached and multi-unit residential buildings that display the low scale, complementary materials and modest character of the area as it evolved from a seasonal to a permanent community linked to the lakefront. The placement of the apartment building as part of a collection of fourplexes and other residential buildings overlooking Lake Ontario is characteristic of the district that is defined by its proximity to Toronto’s waterfront.


The Hubbard Court Apartments are also physically, visually and historically linked to the complex’s surroundings on Toronto’s eastern waterfront. Developed on the former Scarborough Beach Park lands in the 1920s, the apartment house is one of a unique enclave of surviving residential buildings west of Silverbirch Avenue that is placed on the lakefront with direct access to Lake Ontario.

Heritage Attributes

The heritage attributes of the properties at 15 Hubbard Boulevard are:

The 2½-storey apartment building


The long rectangular plan with bevelled corners on the southeast and north east

The materials, with buff brick cladding and brick and stone detailing

The flat roof with a parapet and, on the north end, an extended brick chimney

The identical entrances on the north and south façades, which are placed in flat-headed stone surrounds with transoms and sidelights

Above the north and south entries, the Tudor-arched openings that contain stained glass windows

The flat-headed window openings, with three-part windows on the south façade, double and single window openings on the east elevation, and diminutive openings with stained glass on the north and south walls and the bevelled northeast corner

The detailing on the south, east and north elevations, where decorative panels alternate stone Art Deco motifs and corbelled brickwork

The placement of the building on the southwest corner of Hubbard Boulevard and Hammersmith Avenue where it overlooks the lakefront south of Hubbard Boulevard and has direct access to the Boardwalk and beach


REASONS FOR LISTING: 2-4 WINEVA AVENUE ATTACHMENT NO. 3F (STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE)

Wineva Fourplex

Description

The properties at 2-4 Wineva Avenue are worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties for their cultural heritage value. Located on the west side of Wineva Avenue, south of Hubbard Boulevard, the Wineva Fourplex (1928) is a two-storey residential building containing four units.


The Wineva Fourplex at 2-4 Wineva Avenue has associative value in yielding information that contributes to an understanding of the development of the Beaches neighbourhood. The fourplex was constructed on property adjoining Lake Ontario that was the location from 1907 to 1925 of Scarborough Beach Park, the last and largest of the amusement parks that attracted visitors and summer residents to the eastern beaches. When the amusement park lands were developed into a residential subdivision, Eliza J. Furniss acquired a series of sought-after waterfront lots where a group of fourplexes were constructed, along with a detached house form building and apartment house. As an integral part of this group with direct access to the lakefront, the Wineva Fourplex at 2-4 Wineva Avenue contributed to the transformation of the Beaches neighbourhood from a seasonal destination to a permanent community.

From a design perspective, the Wineva Fourplex at 2-4 Wineva Avenue is a representative example of a building type that is unique to the Beaches neighbourhood. While the fourplex has a long narrow plan to accommodate four living units, from the street it resembles a cottage with the deep open two-storey verandah that extends across the entire façade of the building. The Hubbard Fourplex is one of five near-identical fourplexes along the lakefront adjoining Hubbard Boulevard and Wineva Avenue that create an important visual collection of “Beach” houses.

Contextually, the Wineva Fourplex at 2-4 Wineva Avenue assists in defining, maintaining and supporting the character of the Beaches neighbourhood. The property is part of the area south of Queen Street East that is characterized by detached and multi-unit residential buildings that display the low scale, complementary materials and modest character of the area as it evolved from a seasonal to a permanent community linked to the lakefront. The placement of the Wineva Fourplex as part of a collection of similar fourplexes and other residential buildings overlooking Lake Ontario is characteristic of the district that is defined by its proximity to Toronto’s waterfront.


The Wineva Fourplex at 2-4 Wineva Avenue is also physically, visually and historically linked to its surroundings on Toronto’s eastern waterfront. Developed on the former Scarborough Beach Park lands in the 1920s, the Wineva Fourplex is one of a unique enclave of surviving residential buildings west of Silverbirch Avenue that is placed on the lakefront with direct access to Lake Ontario.

Heritage Attributes

The heritage attributes of the properties at 2-4 Wineva Avenue are:



The materials, with buff brick cladding and brick and wood detailing

The hipped roof with extended eaves and a brick chimney

The two-storey open verandah with brick piers and wood half-columns



The flat-headed window openings with brick flat arches and sills, with three-part windows on the east façade and single and double windows on the remaining elevations

The placement of the building on the lakefront at the south end of Wineva Avenue, south of Alfresco Lawn and Hubbard Boulevard, where it faces east to overlook Lake Ontario and has direct access to the Boardwalk and beach


REASONS FOR LISTING: 6-8 WINEVA AVENUE ATTACHMENT NO. 3G (STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE)

Wineva Fourplex

Description

The properties at 6-8 Wineva Avenue are worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties for their cultural heritage value. Located on the west side of Wineva Avenue, south of Hubbard Boulevard, the Wineva Fourplex (1928) is a two-storey residential building containing four units.


The Wineva Fourplex at 6-8 Wineva Avenue has associative value in yielding information that contributes to an understanding of the development of the Beaches neighbourhood. The fourplex was constructed on property adjoining Lake Ontario that was the location from 1907 to 1925 of Scarborough Beach Park, the last and largest of the amusement parks that attracted visitors and summer residents to the eastern beaches. When the amusement park lands were developed into a residential subdivision, Eliza J. Furniss acquired a series of sought-after waterfront lots where a group of fourplexes were constructed, along with a detached house form building and apartment house. As an integral part of this group with direct access to the lakefront, the Wineva Fourplex at 6-8 Wineva Avenue contributed to the transformation of the Beaches neighbourhood from a seasonal destination to a permanent community.

From a design perspective, the Wineva Fourplex at 6-8 Wineva Avenue is a representative example of a building type that is unique to the Beaches neighbourhood. While the fourplex has a long narrow plan to accommodate four living units, from the street it resembles a cottage with the deep open two-storey verandah that extends across the entire façade of the building. The Hubbard Fourplex is one of five near-identical fourplexes along the lakefront adjoining Hubbard Boulevard and Wineva Avenue that create an important visual collection of “Beach” houses.

Contextually, the Wineva Fourplex at 6-8 Wineva Avenue assists in defining, maintaining and supporting the character of the Beaches neighbourhood. The property is part of the area south of Queen Street East that is characterized by detached and multi-unit residential buildings that display the low scale, complementary materials and modest character of the area as it evolved from a seasonal to a permanent community linked to the lakefront. The placement of the Wineva Fourplex as part of a collection of similar fourplexes and other residential buildings overlooking Lake Ontario is characteristic of the district that is defined by its proximity to Toronto’s waterfront.


The Wineva Fourplex at 6-8 Wineva Avenue is also physically, visually and historically linked to its surroundings on Toronto’s eastern waterfront. Developed on the former Scarborough Beach Park lands in the 1920s, the Wineva Fourplex is one of a unique enclave of surviving residential buildings west of Silverbirch Avenue that is placed on the lakefront with direct access to Lake Ontario.

Heritage Attributes

The heritage attributes of the properties at 6-8 Wineva Avenue are:









The placement of the building on the lakefront at the south end of Wineva Avenue, south of Alfresco Lawn and Hubbard Boulevard, where it faces east to overlook Lake Ontario and adjoins the Boardwalk and beach


ATTACHMENT NO. 4

HERITAGE PROPERTY RESEARCH AND EVALUATION REPORT

HUBBARD AND WINEVA PROPERTIES 1-3, 5-7, 9-11, 13 AND 15 HUBBARD BOULEVARD,

AND 2-4 AND 6-8 WINEVA AVENUE, TORONTO

Prepared by:

Heritage Preservation Services City Planning Division

City of Toronto

March 2010


1. DESCRIPTION

Hubbard Boulevard, between Wineva and Hammersmith, c.1929 (Source: Historical Walking Tour of Kew Beach,

1995, 52)

Hubbard and Wineva Properties ADDRESS 1-15 Hubbard Boulevard (south side, east of Wineva

Avenue) and 2-8 Wineva Avenue (west side, south of Hubbard Boulevard)

WARD 32 (Beaches-East Toronto) LEGAL DESCRIPTION Plan M590, Lots 22-26 NEIGHBOURHOOD/COMMUNITY Beaches HISTORICAL NAMES Hubbard Fourplexes: 1-3, 5-7 & 9-11 Hubbard

Boulevard; Eliza J. Furniss House: 13 Hubbard Boulevard; Hubbard Court Apartments: 15 Hubbard Boulevard; Wineva Fourplexes: 2-4 & 6-8 Wineva Avenue

CONSTRUCTION DATES 1928 and 1929 ORIGINAL OWNER Eliza J. Furniss ORIGINAL USE Residential CURRENT USE* Residential

* This does not refer to permitted use(s) as defined by the Zoning By-law

ARCHITECT/BUILDER/DESIGNER 15 Hubbard Boulevard: Raymond Card, architect; Other properties: Arthur E. Furniss, contractor (attrib.)

DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION Brick cladding, with brick, stone and wood detailing ARCHITECTURAL STYLE see Architectural Description section for individual

buildings ADDITIONS/ALTERATIONS NA CRITERIA Design/Physical, Historical/Associative & Contextual HERITAGE STATUS cultural heritage evaluation RECORDER Heritage Preservation Services: Kathryn Anderson REPORT DATE March 2010


2. BACKGROUND

This research and evaluation report describes the history, architecture and context of the group of properties cited below, and applies evaluation criteria to determine whether the properties merit inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties. The conclusions of the research and evaluation are found in section 4 (Summary).

1-3 Hubbard Boulevard: Hubbard Fourplex 5-7 Hubbard Boulevard: Hubbard Fourplex 9-11 Hubbard Boulevard: Hubbard Fourplex 13 Hubbard Boulevard: Eliza J. Furniss House 15 Hubbard Boulevard: Hubbard Court Apartments 2-4 Wineva Avenue: Wineva Fourplex 6-8 Wineva Avenue: Wineva Fourplex

i. HISTORICAL TIMELINE

Key Date Historical Event 1925 Nov Provident Investment Company registered Plan M490 on former Scarboro

Beach Park lands, Part Lot 3, Broken Front, York Township 1927 Sept-Nov Eliza J. Furniss acquired Lots 22-26 1928 Apr Assessment rolls recorded fourplexes and detached house in place 1928 May Specifications for Hubbard Court Apartments at 15 Hubbard Boulevard by

architect Raymond Card 1929 Apr Assessment rolls noted “unfinished building” at 15 Hubbard Boulevard 1930 Apr Hubbard Court Apartments occupied according to assessment rolls 1930 Sept Eliza J. Furniss transferred Lots 22-26 to City of Toronto 1930 Oct City of Toronto paid $68,500 for expropriated property on Hubbard Boulevard 1931 May Assessment rolls indicated buildings owned & rented by City of Toronto

ii. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Beaches Neighbourhood

The properties located on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard, east of Wineva Avenue, and on the west side of Wineva Avenue, south of Hubbard Boulevard, are part of former Lot 3 in the Broken Front along Lake Ontario in York Township. The area remained the setting of farms and country estates until the 1870s when lake steamers, followed by street cars, brought day trippers and seasonal visitors to the eastern beaches at Woodbine, Kew and Balmy. Tent cities and summer cottages appeared along the waterfront where they were joined by a series of ‘amusement grounds”. The area was gradually parcelled into residential subdivisions, coinciding with its annexation by the City of Toronto and the arrival of municipal services and improved transit. By the end of the 1920s, the former summer destination was transformed into a permanent community.


The expansive area south of Queen Street East between present-day Leuty and MacLean Avenues remained farmland until 1907 when Scarboro Beach Park opened as the last and largest of the amusement parks on the eastern waterfront. The park closed at the end of the 1925 season in the face of competition from Sunnyside, at the west end of Toronto. Provident Investment Company purchased the 37-acre tract and registered a residential subdivision under Plan M490 in November 1925. The City of Toronto acquired a portion of the lakefront lands as the location of a future park extending from Woodbine to Balmy beaches with public access to the entire eastern waterfront.1

Hubbard and Wineva Properties

In a series of transactions beginning in September 1927, the Provident Investment Company sold Lots 22 through 26 under Plan M490 to Eliza J. Furniss. The property comprised the sought-after lands located south of Hubbard Boulevard from Wineva Avenue east to Hammersmith Avenue with direct access to the lakefront. It is assumed that Eliza was the wife of Arthur E. Furniss, who was described in city directories in the 1920s as a builder and real estate agent located at 24 Glenfern Avenue. 2

The first buildings on the Furniss lands were in place by April 1928 when the tax assessment rolls named Eliza J. Furniss as the owner of five fourplexes, two of which were built on the west side of Wineva Avenue and the remaining three on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard. Apparently the buildings were recently completed, as most of the units were recorded as vacant. By the next spring, all were occupied, with working men and widows listed as the tenants. According to the April 1928 assessment roll, a ``vacant house`` at 13 Hubbard Boulevard was owned by Eliza J. Furniss. By the following year, she rented the site to William Kistler, a manufacturer.

The last building developed on Furniss`s properties was the Hubbard Court Apartments at 15 Hubbard Boulevard. The specifications for the apartment house, dated May 1928, indicate that the complex was designed by Toronto architect Raymond Card. The ``unfinished building`` was recorded on the assessment roll in April 1929 and, by the following year, the 17 units were filled.

On October 3, 1930, a front page story in the Toronto Star

reported that City Council had approved the payment of $68,000 to Eliza J. Furniss and Errell C. Ironside (another prominent property owner in the Beaches) for the expropriation of property on Hubbard Boulevard. This event coincided with Furniss’s relinquishing of her other lands along the lakefront to the municipality. While most of the other lakefront buildings were

1

With the subdivision of the former Scarboro Beach Park lands, the only undivided lands on the waterfront at that time were Woodbine Racetrack (later developed), Kew Gardens and R. C. Harris Filtration Plant grounds.

2

While Eliza J. Furniss was the legal owner of Lot 26 where the apartment building at 15 Hubbard was located, the specifications for the latter building, dated May 1928, listed A. E. (Arthur E.) Furniss as the owner. It was likely that the lands were purchased in the name of Eliza J. Furniss (described as a married woman in the tax assessment rolls), but developed by her contractor husband.


demolished prior to 1932 when “Eastern Beaches Park” opened, the City retained the Furniss properties. The Toronto Community Housing Corporation manages the sites as public housing.

Raymond Card, Architect

Architect Raymond Card designed the Hubbard Court Apartments. Born in Birmingham, England where he received his early training, Card (1893-1969) practised in Toronto prior to World War I and returned to the city following the conflict. After a brief association with Toronto-based architects Sharp and Horner and a stint in the City Architect`s Department, Card opened a private practice in 1922. For nearly two decades, he produced designs for churches, commercial structures and a significant number of apartment buildings, including several in the Beaches neighbourhood. The commission for the Hubbard Court Apartments came near the end of his solo career. After closing his office, Card later served as regional architect for the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and penned the first history of the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) in 1950.

iii. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTIONS

Eliza J. Furniss House

Located at 13 Hubbard Boulevard, the Eliza J. Furniss House is placed on the south side of the street between a fourplex (west) and the Hubbard Court Apartments (east). Its design is inspired by early 20th century Edwardian Classicism. Rising 2½ stories with a long rectangular plan, the house form building is clad with red brick and trimmed with brick, stone and wood. The structure is covered by a hip roof with flared eaves, a cornice and brick chimneys. The principal façade faces south toward Lake Ontario where the main entrance and a single-storey bay window in the first floor are protected by a deep open verandah with stout brick piers and a cornice (in the upper floor, the verandah railing has been replaced).3 The flat-headed door and window openings have brick surrounds with quoins and lintels applied in contrasting `black` brick, which also decorates the verandah. The rear (north) wall facing Hubbard Boulevard displays a two-storey hip-roofed bay and a single-storey bay window.

Hubbard and Wineva Fourplexes

The five fourplexes are organized as a group, with three buildings found on the south side of Hubbard Street where the main façades look south toward Lake Ontario. Directly west, two fourplexes are located at the south end of Wineva Avenue, where the principal façades face east. The buildings have long two-storey rectangular plans. Three of the fourplexes at 1-3 and 9-11 Hubbard and 6-8 Wineva feature red brick cladding and sloped roofs with tripartite parapets above the principal façades and rear walls. The

3

A photograph from the 1970s in the local history collection at the Beaches Branch of the Toronto Public Library shows the porch before the current railing was installed.


remaining two buildings at 5-7 Hubbard and 2-4 Wineva are clad with buff brick below hipped roofs with extended eaves and brackets. All of the fourplexes are designed as mirror images, with pairs of doors set in flat-headed surrounds and centered in both stories on the principal façades. The fenestration displays flat-headed openings with brick detailing, with three-part windows on the principal façades and double and single openings on the side elevations and rear walls. Each fourplex has a two-storey open verandah with wood embellishments. All of the verandahs are supported on brick piers in the lower storey. In the upper floor, the verandahs on 5-7 Hubbard and 2-4 Wineva have brick piers with half-columns, while those on 1-3 and 9-11 Hubbard and 6-8 Wineva are embellished with tapered columns. The fourplexes on Hubbard Boulevard have single-storey brick-clad garages attached to the rear (north) walls.

Hubbard Court Apartments

The Hubbard Court Apartments are placed on the southwest corner of Hubbard Boulevard and Hammersmith Avenue where they anchor the east end of the group of Hubbard and Wineva properties. Rising two stories above a raised basement, the structure is clad with buff brick and trimmed with brick, stone and wood. The flat roof has a parapet along the north, east and south ends. An oversized brick chimney extends up the north wall and above the roofline. The northeast and southeast corners of the building are beveled, with window openings on the northeast corner.

Identical entrances are placed on the south side to access the beach and on the north end adjoining Hubbard Boulevard. Flat-headed surrounds with stone detailing contain glass doors with sidelights and transoms. Above these entries, large stairhall windows are placed in Tudor arches with stained glass. In the bays adjoining the entries, diminutive window openings also contain stained glass. On the south façade, large flat-headed openings with three-part windows are placed in each storey to overlook Lake Ontario. Two of the bays project as frontispieces on the east elevation, and single and double window openings are placed in this wall. Flat arches in contrasting brown brick extend above the window openings to add a horizontal emphasis, and a brick string course marks the wall beneath the second floor. The entrance bays on the north and south and the frontispieces on the east are surmounted by stone panels with Art Deco motifs. On the latter walls, each remaining bay displays a brick panel with corbelled brickwork.

iv. CONTEXT

The Hubbard and Wineva Properties are found on the lakefront overlooking the Boardwalk with Lake Ontario beyond. The two fourplexes at 2-4 and 6-8 Wineva Avenue are placed at the south end of the street where it extends south of Hubbard Boulevard. The south wall of the fourplex at 2-4 Wineva overlooks the beach and Boardwalk. The Wineva Fourplexes face east toward Hubbard Boulevard where their closest neighbours are the group of three fourplexes at 1-3, 5-7 and 9-11 Hubbard Boulevard.


The Hubbard Fourplexes, the Eliza J. Furniss House and the Hubbard Court Apartments are placed side-by-side on the south side of Hubbard Boulevard where the rear (north) walls adjoin the street and the principal (south) façades face Lake Ontario. The Hubbard and Wineva Properties are the only properties along the waterfront west of Silver Birch Avenue that have direct access to the waterfront.

3. EVALUATION CHECKLIST

The following evaluation applies Ontario Regulation 9/06 made under the Ontario Heritage Act: Criteria for Determining Cultural Heritage Value or Interest. While the criteria are prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, the City of Toronto uses it when assessing properties for inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties. The evaluation table below is marked “N/A” if the criterion is “not applicable” to the property or X if it is applicable, with explanatory text below.

Design or Physical Value i. rare, unique, representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material or construction method

X

ii. displays high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit X iii. demonstrates high degree of scientific or technical achievement NA

Hubbard and Wineva Fourplexes: The group of five fourplexes are representative examples of a residential building type that is unique to the Beaches neighbourhood in Toronto. The multi-unit houses are distinguished by the deep two-storey open verandahs that cover the principal façades of the buildings and give them the appearance of cottages. While the fourplexes share modest classical detailing, they are distinguished individually by the different colours of the brickwork, roof styles and verandah embellishments. As a type, the Hubbard and Wineva Fourplexes stand as an important collection of “Beach” houses.

Eliza J. Furniss House: The house form building is a representative example of Edwardian Classicism, the style popular in Toronto in the early 1900s and characterized by simplicity of form and restrained classical elements. The Eliza J. Furniss House displays the four-square plan and classical-detailed verandah that are typical of Edwardian Classicism, but its design is set apart from others in the neighbourhood by the application of contrasting ‘black’ brick that is effectively used to highlight the piers supporting the verandah and the quoins and flat arches decorating the door and window openings.

Hubbard Court Apartments: The mid-sized apartment building is a representative and well-crafted example of the type that is highlighted with features of the Tudor Revival and Art Deco styles of the early 20th century. Its design places equal focus on the front (south) and rear (north) walls where identical entrance bays have Art Deco detailing, as well as monumental Tudor-arched stairhall windows containing stained glass.


Historical or Associative Value i. direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community

NA

ii. yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture

X

iii. demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community

X

Community -

The Hubbard and Wineva Properties contribute to the understanding of the development of the Beaches community. The fourplexes, detached house and apartment building, were constructed as a group on waterfront property acquired by Eliza J. Furniss after the grounds of the former Scarboro Beach Park were subdivided for development. The transition of the lands from seasonal activity to permanent occupancy mirrored the development of the Beaches as it moved from a recreational destination to one of Toronto’s most distinctive neighbourhoods.

Architect – The Hubbard Court Apartments at 15 Hubbard Boulevard are connected to the architectural career of Raymond Card. During Card’s 20-year solo practice, he designed several apartment houses in the Beaches neighbourhood that reflected the prevailing architectural styles of the early 20th century. Coinciding with the Hubbard Court Apartments, Card also designed for the same client the Hubbard Park Apartments, which are located on the opposite (northeast) corner of Hubbard Boulevard and Hammersmith Avenue and share similar design elements drawn from the Tudor Revival and Art Deco styles.

Contextual Value

i. important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area X ii. physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings X iii.

landmark NA

Character – As a group, the Hubbard and Wineva Properties support the character of the area where detached and multi-unit residential buildings with a cottage-like appearance or modest scale are typical of the Beaches neighbourhood. The placement of the collection of fourplexes and other residential buildings on the lakefront overlooking Lake Ontario is characteristic of the district that is defined by its proximity to Toronto’s waterfront.

Surroundings – The Hubbard and Wineva Properties are physically, visually and historically linked to their surroundings on Toronto’s eastern waterfront. They are positioned to offer unobstructed views to and from Lake Ontario. As an enclave, the Hubbard and Wineva Properties are unique as the only surviving residential buildings located on the lakefront west of Silverbirch Avenue, where the front yards of the Hubbard properties have direct access to the Boardwalk and beach.


4. SUMMARY

Following research and evaluation according to Regulation 9/06, it has been determined that the Hubbard and Wineva Properties have cultural heritage value and are worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties. As a unique enclave of surviving residential buildings placed on the lakefront, the Hubbard and Wineva Properties have individual design merit and are associated historically with the evolution of the Beaches neighbourhood from a seasonal to a permanent community on Toronto’s eastern waterfront.

5. SOURCES

Archival Sources

Abstract Indices of Deeds, Plan M490, Lots 22-26 Assessment Rolls, City of Toronto, Ward 8, Division 1, 1925-1940 Building Permit #1, May 26, 1917, brick dwelling, south side Hubbard Boulevard near

Hammersmith, E. J. Furniss, $8000 Building Permit #14555, June 13, 1928, apartment house, Hammersmith & Hubbard,

E. J. Furniss, $25,0004

City of Toronto Directories, 1921-1930 (streets & names) Goad’s Atlases, 1910 revised 1913 and 1924; 1956, Volume 9, Plate 956-6 Specifications, May 4, 1928, 2 ½-storey apartment building, Plan 490, Lot 26, owner

A. E. Furniss, architect Raymond Card

Books and Periodicals

Blumenson, John, Ontario Architecture, 1989 Boyer, Barbanne, The Boardwalk Album, 1985 Campbell, Mary, and Barbara Myrvold, The Beach in Pictures, 1793-1932,

1989 ------------------------------------------------, Historical Walking Tour of Kew Beach,

revised ed., 1995 Cochrane, Glenn, and Jean Cochrane, The Beach,

2009 Cruikshank, Tom, and Jon DeVisser, Old Toronto Houses,

2003 Filey, Michael, A Toronto Album: glimpses of the city that was,

1970 Filey, Mike, I Remember Sunnyside,

revised ed., 1996

4

Another building permit #14063, issued on May 30, 1928 to E. J. Furniss for an apartment house at Hubbard and Hammersmith and value at $75,000, is a

reference to the extant Hubbard Park Apartments at 42 Hubbard Boulevard (northeast Hammersmith), which is a larger apartment complex with similar door and window detailing to the subject property. This is confirmed in an article in the Toronto Star

(1 June 1928) citing a permit issued to Mrs. E. J. Furniss for an apartment house to be located at the northeast corner of Hubbard and Hammersmith, valued at $75,000.


Newspapers and Pamphlets

"City pays piper: bill of $68,500 for expropriated property approved," Toronto Star

(3 October 1930), 1

``City to sell its beach-front homes``, Town Crier

(18 June 2009)

“Now there are 165 “100% Red Seal” builders, Toronto Star

(30 June 1926): same

advertisement repeated on 16 June 1927 and 23 April 1928 "Park to disappear at Scarboro Beach," Globe

(24 Oct 1925) Photograph of subject properties, Beach Metro News

(August 2005), 12

Internet

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, re: Raymond Card biography and projects: www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org

Other

Photographs and clippings, Local History Collection, Beaches Branch, Toronto Public Library

6. IMAGES

http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org


Extract, Goad’s Atlas,

1910 revised to 1924, showing the location of

Scarboro Beach Park with Leuty Avenue on the left (west)

Scarborough Beach Park, looking north toward Queen Street East (Source: Filey, A Toronto Album,

1970, 92)

Advertisement for residential development of Scarboro Beach Park, 1926 (Source: Historical Walking Tour of Kew Beach,

1995, 48)


Above, left to right: Fourplexes at 1-3, 5-7 and 9-11 Hubbard Boulevard

Eliza J. Furniss House (left) and Hubbard Court Apartments (right)

Fourplexes at 2-4 (left) and 6-8 (right) Wineva Avenue

Documents

Hubbard and Wineva Properties action report€¦ · Staff report for action – Hubbard and Wineva Properties – Inclusion on Heritage Inventory 12 The Hubbard Fourplex at 1-3 Hubbard